Editors:
Please note the local contacts for each
recipient organization.

SACRAMENTO  Resource
Conservation Districts around the state
will use grants announced today by the
California Department of Conservation to
reduce wildfire risk, eliminate noxious
weeds, and improve irrigation
efficiency, among other projects.

DOC issued $120,000
in grants to help eight Resource
Conservation Districts promote land and
water stewardship projects at the
grass-roots level.

Resource Conservation
Districts are locally governed agencies
set up as special districts under
California law with their own locally
appointed or elected boards of
directors. RCDs are authorized to
undertake projects such as watershed
planning and management, agricultural
land conservation, recreational land
restoration, irrigation management,
forest stewardship, wildlife habitat
enhancement and conservation education.
There are 103 RCDs in the state.

"We are proud to
support the work Resource Conservation
Districts do at the local level, DOC
Director Darryl Young said. RCDs are
unsung heroes when it comes to
protecting and enhancing watersheds
around the state.

Our districts will
ensure theres a good `bang for the
buck out of this grant money, said Tom
Wehri, executive director of the
California Association of Resource
Conservation Districts. Watersheds
benefit greatly from the work of local
districts, and we appreciate the state
support that helps us complete our
important projects.

In addition to
supporting land conservation, the
Department of Conservation ensures the
reclamation of land used for mining;
promotes beverage container recycling;
regulates oil, gas and geothermal wells;
and studies and maps earthquakes and
other geologic phenomena. More
information about DOC programs is
available online at
www.conservation.ca.gov.

Following are
thumbnail sketches of the projects that
received grants. The RCDs name is
followed by the city in which it is
headquartered and the amount of the
grant. The local contact person is noted
in bold type.

West Lake RCD/Lakeport
($17,600)  The district will
construct a fuel break in the Upper
Cache Creek Watershed to reduce the
risk of wildfires and the subsequent
sedimentation that would flow into
Clear Lake. In addition, the RCD will
develop a presentation for local
community groups that highlights and
emphasizes the dangers posed by fires.
Local contact: Greg Dills, (707)
263-4180.

Tehachapi RCD/Tehachapi
($16,203)  The RCD will expand its
Yellow Starthistle Spray and Manual
Removal Program from simply
controlling the noxious weed to
actually eradicating it from the
district. Also, the district will
continue to build public support and
participation through outreach,
educational activities, and workshops.
Yellow Starthistle is a non-native
weed that negatively effects most
wildlife habitat and is toxic to some
animals. Local contact: Edward Duggan,
(661) 822-6835.

Tahoe RCD/South
Lake Tahoe ($15,277)  The district
will promote backyard conservation and
implementation of Best Management
Practices (BMP) for local homeowners
through education, outreach, and
technical assistance. The RCD will
conduct four public workshops that
emphasize BMPs on residential
properties. In addition, the program
will provide resources to residents to
implement the practices demonstrated
during the workshop. Local contact:
Kim Melody, (530) 573-2769.

Yolo County RCD/Woodland
($12,705)  The RCD will implement a
roadside vegetation management program
designed to eliminate noxious weeds
and non-native plants. It will plant
native grasses along roads throughout
Yolo County to filter runoff, suppress
weeds, and anchor soil. In addition,
the RCD will expand its Know Your
Natives guide to include additional
plants, many of which are found along
roadsides. Local contact: Paul Robins,
(530) 662-2037.

Mariposa County RCD/Mariposa
($12,300)  The district plans to
eradicate Yellow Starthistle along a
stretch of the Merced River using
manual removal techniques because of
the sensitive nature of the area. The
section of the river includes many
rare plants and species. In addition,
hikers, wildflower enthusiasts,
kayakers, and fishermen use the area.
Local contact: Holly Warner, (209)
966-3431.

Monterey County RCD/Monterey
($20,000)  The RCD will establish a
cost-share program for local
landowners. The district will provide
materials, labor, and technical
expertise for projects that reduce
non-point source pollution and improve
the quality of water leaving farms.
The program will be designed to
complement the services being offered
by the federal government. Local
contact: Emily Hanson, (831) 424-1036.

Tulare County RCD/Visalia
($9,020)  The district plans to
develop a program to eradicate Arundo
Donax infestations along the upper
Kaweah River. The RCD will coordinate
the removal of the plant and ensure
that subsequent follow-up monitoring
is performed. It will also establish
an outreach program using a mobile
display unit to educate local
residents about how to identify
noxious weeds and which eradication
methods are most effective. Local
contact: David Witt, (559) 732-9163.

San Jacinto Basin
RCD/San Jacinto ($16,895)  The RCD
will expand its custom irrigation
scheduling service. The districts
PRISM program is a computerized
irrigation scheduling program that
provides grape growers with critical
information to improve the irrigation
process. A new program component will
allow farmers to reduce water use
while boosting irrigation efficiency.
Effective irrigation strengthens
plants against Pierce Disease, which
is transmitted by the Glassy Winged
Sharpshooter. Local contact: Jim
Gilmore, (909) 654-7733.